To make dipping sauce, soak kombu and dried shiitake mushroom in 1 cup of water for overnight. If you are using a whole dried shiitake mushroom, crumble it before you soak it. Keep it in a fridge unless your room temperature is below 60ºF.

Boil above liquid in a small pan for 5 minutes. Add soy sauce, sugar and sake. Let it cool. Take out kombu and stem part of shiitake mushroom.

Cook soba al dente according to the instruction on the package. Do not over cook. Cool noodles under running water.

Brunch: Coffee, Green Goddess Shake, Miso Soup with Mochi and Spinach, Simmered Black Beans, Mandarin Oranges—I tried to incorporate a traditional Japanese New Year’s Day’s feast by only 2 dishes. Mochi is usually in a clear broth instead of miso. If I was at my mother’s house, I make Kinton (Mushed Sweet Potato mixed with Chestnuts, extremely sweet) because it is a time consuming dish to make and my favorite. I like this black beans a lot, too. They are cooked with soy sauce and sugar, but not extremely sweet.

Snack at House of Crepes: Pear Cinnamon Crepe, Earl Grey Tea—a simple sweet and tea. The closest thing I could find here to a scone/biscuit and tea in England.

Dinner at Motorino: Marinara Pizza with Roasted Peppers and Mushrooms, Fennel Salad—the pizza was good, although I prefer a thinner crispier crust. The wait staff was nice and service was fast enough, but the noise level was over the top. Eat-‘n-Run!